NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama’s newest accolade was like none different.
The San Antonio heart has grow to be the primary participant in NBA historical past to make the league’s All-Defensive first crew as a rookie. The league introduced the groups on Tuesday, and Wembanyama appeared on 98 of the 99 ballots solid.
Defensive participant of the yr Rudy Gobert of Minnesota headlined the crew and was the one unanimous choice. He was joined on the primary crew by Wembanyama, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, New Orleans’ Herb Jones and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis.
“Coming into this league, clearly he had excessive expectations as a result of he is 7-3 and taking pictures step-back 3s. I believe lots of people paid consideration extra to that than what he really did on the defensive finish,” Adebayo stated of Wembanyama. “So, for him to get first-team, first come round, it is clearly an ideal accolade for him.”
The entire voting outcomes for the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Defensive Group: pic.twitter.com/k3FODNJ0YU
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) Might 21, 2024
The second-team All-Defensive picks had been Chicago’s Alex Caruso, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and Boston teammates Derrick White and Jrue Vacation.
It was Gobert’s seventh All-Defensive decide, all of them as a member of the primary crew. Davis is now a five-time All-Defensive participant, and a three-time first-team choice. Adebayo made All-Defensive for the fifth time, and his first as a member of the primary crew. Jones made the crew for the primary time.
“I really feel it is a very long time coming, clearly,” Adebayo stated of his first first-team nod. “Simply staying on this second, having fun with it, blessed to have the ability to be one of many ones chosen.”
Wembanyama is now the sixth rookie in NBA historical past to make the All-Defensive Group — with the opposite 5 all incomes second-team nods of their first seasons. These 5 had been San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in 1998, the Spurs’ David Robinson in 1990, Washington’s Manute Bol (1986), Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon (1985) and Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970).
The All-NBA crew will probably be revealed Wednesday. If Wembanyama makes that crew, he can be the primary rookie to earn that distinction since Duncan did 26 years in the past.
